I hold an American DL and spend a lot of time driving overseas. I've been stopped a couple of times (once when I was 17, Bosnian cops didn't realize I was in fact born in November and not February). I've never seen a need for an international drivers permit...but maybe that is just me. I did rent and drive a car in Germany, on the autobahn between Frankfurt and Berlin.

I hold an American DL and spend a lot of time driving overseas. I've been stopped a couple of times (once when I was 17, Bosnian cops didn't realize I was in fact born in November and not February). I've never seen a need for an international drivers permit...but maybe that is just me. I did rent and drive a car in Germany, on the autobahn between Frankfurt and Berlin.

Auto rentals in the US just ask for my Mx drivers licence everytime I rented a car, that and a CC and I am good to go, I imagine is the same in Europe or other countries.

My dad has been all over the world on business + family vacations, never needed an international drivers license. He said unless a country specifically needs one (he has yet to go to one that does not accept his Canadian drivers license and passport when he picks up the rental car), it is just a scam to make someone a couple of bucks - unless of course you are planning a long term stay - then you do need to check into their regulations! He means it's a scam for normal travelers, he knows of many work colleagues who bought one; wasting their money. He even said one guy only brought the international license and passport to Germany and was turned down for a car rental - they said "anyone could have made that, it is just paper, we need proof of license from your home country, we recognize the Canadian licensing system as adequate". He has been stopped (not in all countries, but in quite a few... as most country have/had check points, unlike North America).

..........So pretty much most of the industrialized countries. He refused to drive in China, said it was just too chaotic. He's never been outside of the airport in Japan.

He said the only time he needed an international permit was when he moved to Canada from Germany (via Switzerland). He had to obtain a 1-year international permit for him and a special plate for the car, which allowed him to obtain proper insurance for it. Within the year he had to obtain a Canadian license to continue driving here, and he had to modify his car to our standards (which was not required as he bought the 'Export' model meant for North America in Germany.

One year. It's a folded cardboard pamphlet with your picture and valid one year from date of issue(handwritten on front). When I went to rent a 458 Italia they didn't even bother looking at it and just took my U.S. license.

If you have a US license you can drive just about anywhere, except North Korea, Iran, and Cuba

Last edited by MightyDSM; 09-03-2012 at 08:39 PM.

Look at your signature, now back to mine, now back to yours, now back to mine. Sadly, yours isn't mine, but if you stopped using your old signature and changed it to this one, it could look like mine. Look down, back up, where are you? You're on a car forum, reading this signature.

It's not really a separate licence as such. It's supposed to be a standard form written in many languages that you have a valid licence where you are from. I got one when I went to Japan. I am pretty certain I would have been able to rent the car without it.
Just in case anyone asks, cars rented were, Suzuki Wagon R, Nissan Cube, Honda Stream. Not sure year of cars but this was 2007.